ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Hi Everyone, I've just pulled an ITT Nokia VR3799 S-VHS video recorder out of the loft and stupidly put a tape in it. It swallowed it up but won't give it back. Further investigation revealed a very slack capstan motor belt and a broken loading motor belt.

Needless to say finding replacement belts for it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I'm wondering if this model is a clone of one of the bigger brand name machines of the era?

I bought it around 2001 for about £490. It was quite cheap for an S-VHS machine but I remember being a tad disappointed that it didn't have a flying erase head. As a result insert editing on it was a bit flakey. :(.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

It is based on the Sanyo P90 mechanism. I get my parts through the ASWO which is only open to the trade.

You should change the mode switch while you're about it.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Thanks for you quick reply Michael. I'll see if I can get new belts and a mode switch for it.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

It isn't a clone (copy by another factory) or just the deck bought in, but rather an OEM model fully made by Sanyo. If you need other detail besides the deck, there's likely a very similar Sanyo model. It would already have been at least 5 years old by 2001.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

That's what I guessed. I realise now that by 1998 I was into digital video editing so I must have bought it before that. I've now found a P90 service manual online so the belt changes should be fairly straight forward. I'm sure that it was functional before it was stored so hopefully it might come back to life. I haven't found the front flap door but I remember to that it wouldn't stay closed.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Just an update. To change the loading motor belt I needed to remove a worm gear and support bracket. I then manage to wind the tape loading mechanism out by hand to recover the stuck tape but alignment of the gear mechanism took some careful interpretation of the P90 service manual! Finally it sprang into life and even the remote control works perfectly.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Here are a few photos.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

This model looks like the Sanyo VHRD4890e SVHS model released in 1989.
It was one of 2 domestic SVHS models released by Sanyo.The Second one being the VHRS700e the first center loading deck.Before Sanyo gave up on the SVHS format in the UK no doubt down to high production costs and poor sales.

I have 2 of this model and it utilised the P88 mechanism ,the main difference between that and the P90 was the slider for the reel brake being unreliable with age on the former.Otherwise this design was one of Sanyo's finest.Also the mode switch rarely needs replacing just cleaning and i've done this successfully by spraying contact cleaner inside this from the base of the vcr requiring NO disassembly and issues never to come back.The main one being,when the contacts on this switch get dirty by the old grease inside, is a lack of accepting a tape until you unplug the vcr first.The belt associated with this loading area and the bigger one for the capstan and also a pinch roller clean and the PSU recap,especially if the really unreliable ELNA caps are fitted (they leak like mad) are all that's usually required.
Sanyo supplied Nokia with mid and top end VHS models for a few years ,promoting Nokias ASO feature (Active Sideband Optimum) a form of high quality noise reduction on their own models in 1991/92.

Nice find and the first time i've seen that Nokia version.

Hope this info helps?...................Kevin

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

I have a high end Sanyo Hi fi unit that looks very similar. Not SVHS though. That's a P90.

I think there were quite a few ITT/Nokias OEM'd by others.
The early 80s were JVC HRD120s, HRD140s and similar.
Then in the late 80s-early 90s they were rebadged Sanyos.
That lasted until the mid 90s, then they switched to Daewoos (DV-F54 etc)

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

There were only one or two mid 1980's ITT models that they made themselves, all the others were bought in.

Those models were built by SEL (ITT Germany) and also sold as Blaupunkt.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

I thought Blaupunkt VCRs were rebadged Panasonics.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Mostly, or rather they were Blaupunkt-badged MBVs (which was the joint venture between Blaupunkt and Panasonic, later fully owned by Panasonic), but they did buy in some models from other manufacturers from time to time. They also had some Philips turbodrive models in the mid 1990's.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Thanks for the info and your comments. It's interesting that this Nokia machine seems to have a problem rewinding tapes. It has now snapped 3 clear leader tapes suggesting that the reel brakes are not working as they should! I was thinking of making a test tape with an extra section of clear leader spliced in to help diagnose the issue. Do you know what needs replacing, cleaning or adjusting?

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

This is unlikely to be the brakes. The RHS IR sensor may be dirty or has gone high resistance.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Thanks for the tip Ben. If cleaning the sensor doesn't work, perhaps I could compare/swap left with right? I'm reluctant to feed it any more of my S-VHS recordings. :(

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

I modified a VHS tape with an extra extra leader + 1m of tape before the original leader. Using this I confirmed that the machine sometimes ran past the full length of the 1st clear leader but it never ran for the extra 1m of magnetic tape. I fast forwarded the tape to the end and noticed that the same sort of thing was happening there. I then put a scope on IC305 pins 52 (TOP-S) and 53 (END-S). With a tape in and partly wound on, the voltage on both pins was about 3V. With no tape in, the voltage on both pins dropped to about 1V. With the tape loaded and the clear end trailer in the light path, the voltage on pin 53 (END-S) dropped to about 2V. With the beginning leader in the light path the voltage on pin 52 (TOP-S) was lower at about 1V. I noticed that if I shone some light from a torch on either of the sensors, I could get the respective voltages down to about 0.3V. I cleaned the LED and both sensors with isopropyl alcohol but there was little improvement. The tape runs on further at both ends on fast forward/rewind than it does on fast search. I'm now thinking it may be an electronic response time issue rather than mechanical because the sense voltages can be driven lower with more light on the photo transistors. I'll try replacing the source LED first.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

I was going to suggest that the start end sensor had gone 'lazy' but if the same thing is happening at the end of the tape, then that's unlikely. Perhaps there is hardened grease on the brake linkages after all.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

HI
With your.mobile phone camera check if the led transmit IR. Also check during CUE and REVIEW functions if you have the same problem.

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

This Luxor branded machine looks to have a very similar VFD. Makes sense as they were another one of Nokia's acquisitions in the mid-eighties..

Re: ITT Nokia S-VHS VR 3799 Video Recorder - Information Needed
 

Thanks again for all your helpful pointers. I haven't discounted the brake mechanics yet but I decided for now to enhance my 'yardstick' a bit further. I have now added a second clear trailer at the end of my test tape again with about a metre of magnet tape before the original one. This allows me to gauge how much overshoot occurs at each end and under what conditions. I have also ordered a replacement LED. It's a simple JVC one rather than the Sanyo assembly which I couldn't find as a spare part. It might at least give me an indication if I'm barking up the wrong tree.

I had already looked at the existing LED with my mobile phone and it's glowing a sort of dim pink. I'm also wondering if it has series resistor that might have gone high?